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Schuberth C3 helmets

I'm new to BMW bikes and to this forum. My husband owns a K1600 GTL and we purchased 2 Schuberth C3 helmets with communication systems. I was wondering if anyone is having the same problem that we are with this helmet. After about an hour of riding, the seam in the memory foam(?) begins to irritate the top of my forehead, actually causing quite a bit of discomfort. The helmet leaves a huge mark on my husband's head. We just want to rip the helmets off because they are so painful! Our local dealer has told us that she has talked to the company and that the memory foam has not adjusted to our heads. She suggested that we put a 5-10 lb. weight inside the helmet for a few hours to press it in. We are doing that and haven't ridden yet to know if it has worked. Just wondering about others' experiences with this expensive helmet.
(forgive me if I've posted on the wrong thread)

I've got almost no hair left and what I do have I keep at 1/4 inch or less. Saturday I went out on a ride for a couple of hours in 40 degree weather and the vent channels in the schuberth left almost a perfect red virtual Mohawk on my forehead. Got lots of looks.

Kristy, welcome to the club and congrats on an awesome purchase (K16GTL)!

I have the C3 lady version and I love mine. I've heard that there is a break in period and I'm sure I did too but I can't remember, I've had mine for nearly 3 years and I love it!

Some people take the back side of a spoon and try to mash down the foam a little bit. Just try to rub the spoon back and forth to loosen it up a little and help it smash down. Give it a little more time, ride some, smash some with a spoon, ride some more, smash some more and hopefully it will begin to fit right.

I hope it works out, I think it's a great helmet but if it isn't comfortable then it's worthless.

I have about 5000 miles on my C3. I have the same red mark. I talked to the rep on the phone about the same headache problem after an hour of riding. I tried the book compression for 3 days and still had headache. I eded up (by the reps suggestion) cutting out the winter flap at the forehead vent. This improved things some but did not end the problem. I ended up compressing the foam slightly at some of the other pressure points with a spoon. The rep said it was not a sanctioned fix but I did it and I am more comfortable in the helmet. Finally. Give them a call for some advise. Pretty nice folks.

I have about 5000 miles on my C3. I have the same red mark. I talked to the rep on the phone about the same headache problem after an hour of riding. I tried the book compression for 3 days and still had headache. I eded up (by the reps suggestion) cutting out the winter flap at the forehead vent. This improved things some but did not end the problem. I ended up compressing the foam slightly at some of the other pressure points with a spoon. The rep said it was not a sanctioned fix but I did it and I am more comfortable in the helmet. Finally. Give them a call for some advise. Pretty nice folks.

+1

My wife said the mark on my bald head made me look like something out of Star Trek (the original series). While it can be said this takes away from the protective properties of the compressible foam in the helmet, I , with the exception of cutting out the winter flap, did the same exact thing as Evrydayride mentions above. An absolute world of difference. I would guess I compressed it by a mm or two.

My C3 was comfortable from day one but I seem to be in the minority. My head circumference is at the upper limit of a size--and the Schuberth fit chart has a 1 cm gap between sizes--so based on all the posts about headaches, skid markes, etc. I bought the next size up. Voila, no headaches and my eyes don't bulge when I put it on .. . Hmmm. I wonder if their fit chart is about 1 cm too tight for a lot of people.

Great helmet although I wish the shades stayed up better. Has anybody found a fix for the drooping? For the $$$$$ price I'd like a snappy detent. And hey--those icy scalp-massage-jets DO keep you ALERT . .

Thanks for the welcome and for all of the helpful hints!
I sent an email to Schuberth this morning, couldn't find a phone number for them.
We'll see what they say, but in the meantime I will try these ideas and hope and pray that this gets better! We've never owned a motorcycle before and are looking forward to many trips as we will be empty nesters in the fall.
Kristy

Greetings, I don't own a Schuberth helmet as it is out of my price league and the helmet shape does not fit my helmet correctly. However, I do know that they sell different pads and foam to "custom fit" the helmets, as we all do have slightly different head shapes.

Since I have logged thousand of miles, I have found that most helmets do require a break in period, until the foam conforms to our heads. However, leaving marks on you, creating headaches and such sounds like an ill fitting helmet. May I suggest finding out what your head shape is.... if memory serves me the Schuberth C3 and C3W helmets are Neutral going to slightly round. I my self am a Neutral going to slightly narrow. For a $800.00 helmet plus the 300.00 communication system I find it difficult to accept having to "customize" a helmet on your own. To me, helmets are like shoes and gloves: First impressions are priceless. They either fit or they don't, no maybe, or if I break them in. That has NEVER been the case with my prior helmets, shoes or gloves.

I had to customize the fit of a Scorpion EXO 900. I tried the spoon thing but it wasn't quite doing the job. I found that a croquet or bocce ball worked better and modulating the pressure was more controlled. Got me out of a sticky wicket!

Agreed, for $800, this shouldn't have to be done. However, I'm sure Schuberth can't accommodate ALL head shapes...but so many have this problem...hmmmmm.

Helmet Shapes

A helmet that fits the shape of your own particular head will be comfortable. The greater the mismatch between the helmet shape and your head shape, the greater the discomfort. I used to wear a helmet with a slightly round profile and it left a red mark on my forehead and could get downright painful on a day-long ride. I had to take rest breaks just to give my head relief! That's when I discovered I had a long oval (narrow) shaped head. I got an Arai Profile and the comfort has been heavenly.

I would say if the C3 is not comfortable after initial break-in, then it is not a close match to your head shape. If a factory rep is not able to help you get it comfortable, you might want to consider switching to a different helmet with the right shape for you.

A helmet that fits the shape of your own particular head will be comfortable. The greater the mismatch between the helmet shape and your head shape, the greater the discomfort. I used to wear a helmet with a slightly round profile and it left a red mark on my forehead and could get downright painful on a day-long ride. I had to take rest breaks just to give my head relief! That's when I discovered I had a long oval (narrow) shaped head. I got an Arai Profile and the comfort has been heavenly.

I would say if the C3 is not comfortable after initial break-in, then it is not a close match to your head shape. If a factory rep is not able to help you get it comfortable, you might want to consider switching to a different helmet with the right shape for you.

I enjoy the fit of my Arai Profile but no its noise level. Would you say then that the C3 is a very different shape than the Arai's?

My last helmet was an Arai vector and I now ride with a c3. Both were very comfortable from the get go but I wore them around the store for 30 minutes looking like a dork and also ended up 1 size up to find a comfortable fit in the c3.

I enjoy the fit of my Arai Profile but no its noise level. Would you say then that the C3 is a very different shape than the Arai's?

If you look at the webBikeWorld article on helmet shapes you'll see the Profile is a "Narrow", which is their narrowest classification, and the C3 is a "Neutral", meaning it is half way between a "Narrow" and "Round" shape. So depending on your head, it might fit fine. To get an idea, go to a Schuberth dealer and try one on for 30 minutes--yeah, it feels kinda goofy walking around the store wearing a helmet, but that's part of the fun.

I find the Profile to be a quiet helmet, so long as I keep the front vents closed (the ones on the helmet, not the visor). When I open them, they whistle. A given helmet will have different noise levels depending on the bike you ride. On my RS my head is completely in the airstream and the Profile is quiet. If you wear it behind a windshield that affects the air flow, that might make a difference. By the way, I always wear earplugs, so quiet is relative to other helmets. If I ride without earplugs, then it seems noisy to me, but I think that's going to be the case with any helmet.

Also keep in mind that Arai makes a variety of helmets designed for different head shapes, so there isn't just one "Arai shape". That's one of the things that makes Arai a great helmet company.

It has already been said but a proper fitting helmet is a must with comfort being the least important reason. A Schuberth helmet DOES NOT fit all head shape sizes. If you have "hot spots" on the front and back of your head you are probably a long oval head shape and need an Arai Signet-Q or Profile. The next time a motorcycle show or event is near go and visit the helmet booths and get properly fit. You will never get this from most shops as they will not have the needed pads. The best helmet business I know of is The Service Pavillion. They are an Arai dealer and started by fitting the pro racers. If a helmet does not fit properly it not only hurts but also does not protect properly. $699 for an ill fitting helmet is money wasted and a potential deadly decision.